When buy a used DVD is cheaper than a movie's digital rental

...when buying a good quality DVD is cheaper than renting the movie digitally...

(Also, it's funny that the AI gave Bryan Cranston the arms of Kevin Hart)

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Trail 31 - Betasso Preserve Canyon Loop

I've visited the Betasso Preserve Canyon Loop Trail a few times during late Spring and early Summer. I really like this trail. It has a variety of terrain with beautiful mountain scenery. The trail is shared by hikers, joggers and cyclists. The area is a good mix of brush and trees without heavily overgrown areas with wild bramble. Early Summer supports a wide variety of flowers.

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You can also visit nearby Bummers Rock during the same drive. This trail is Hike #31 from 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder. Within which, it's described at "a geological enthusiast's wonderland." Even though it has diverse terrain, the change in elevation is only about 400 feet. You'll have a chance to see some wildlife here as well. It's recommended to enjoy this trail on the weekday, as weekends can be crowded (at least in the parking lot).

Ireland's First Script Ogham (with Converter tool)

The Ogham Alphabet

The Ogham alphabet (often pronounced "OH-um") is the earliest known form of writing used in Ireland and parts of Britain, appearing primarily in inscriptions between the 4th and 9th centuries AD. It's unique among world writing systems for its striking visual form and method of inscription.

Historical Context and Use

Ogham emerged during the period of Primitive Irish, the oldest attested form of the Gaelic language.

1. Form and Structure: Unlike the Latin or Runic alphabets, Ogham consists entirely of a system of notches and parallel strokes etched along a central line, or "stemline." On monuments, the natural corner or edge of a standing stone served as this stemline, making Ogham essentially a three-dimensional script. It reads vertically, typically from bottom to top.
2. Primary Function: The vast majority of surviving Ogham inscriptions are found on monumental stones (known as Ogham stones) scattered across Ireland and Wales. These stones functioned primarily as commemorative boundary markers or memorials, usually bearing the name of an individual and that person's lineage.
3. The "Tree Alphabet" Tradition: Ogham is incorrectly known as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet." This association comes from medieval manuscript tradition, where each of the 20 original Ogham characters was given a name corresponding to a native Irish tree or plant (e.g., ᚁ Beith = Birch, ᚇ Dair = Oak). This tradition popularized the script but often overshadowed its true linguistic purpose.
4. Decline: Ogham usage declined dramatically after the 7th century, largely being replaced by the Latin alphabet as Christianity spread and written language shifted from monumental inscriptions to manuscripts.

Transliteration for Modern English

The original Ogham alphabet had only 20 core characters (feda), which reflected the limited sound set of Primitive Irish. To adapt this ancient script for Modern English (which has 26 letters and many more sounds), a systematic approach is necessary.

This converter (below) uses a modern, mostly reversible transliteration method that maps the six missing English letters (J, K, P, V, W, X, Y, Z) to their closest existing Ogham phonetic or orthographic neighbors, ensuring every modern English word can be accurately rendered in Ogham. We also use the dedicated   (Ogham space mark) for all word separation and punctuation to maintain the authenticity of the script's digital representation.

 

Ogham Bi-Directional Converter

Direction: Latin (English) → Ogham Ogham → Latin (English)

Include Feather Marks (᚛ and ᚜) ⓘ

Enter Latin (English) Text:

Output (Click to Copy):

Note on Mapping: This converter uses the 20 core Ogham letters plus the later Forfeda for missing English sounds (P and CH). Punctuation is converted to the Ogham space mark ( ) for a more authentic output.

Latin Input	Ogham Output	Ogham Name	Mapping Rationale
A, E, I, O, U	ᚐ, ᚓ, ᛁ, ᚑ, ᚒ	Ailm, Edad, Idad, Onn, Ur	Direct Ogham Vowels
B	ᚁ	Beith	Direct Ogham character.
P	ᚚ	Peith	**Uses the Forfid (supplementary letter).**
F, V	ᚃ	Fern	V is voiced pair of F.
C, K	ᚉ	Coll	K shares the hard C (/k/) sound.
CH	ᚙ	Eamhancholl	**Uses the Forfid for the CH sound.**
G	ᚌ	Gort	Direct Ogham character.
D	ᚇ	Dair	Direct Ogham character.
T	ᚈ	Tinne	Direct Ogham character.
H	ᚆ	Uath	Direct Ogham character.
L	ᚂ	Luis	Direct Ogham character.
M	ᚋ	Muin	Direct Ogham character.
N	ᚅ	Nuin	Direct Ogham character.
R	ᚏ	Ruis	Direct Ogham character.
S, Z	ᚄ	Saille	Z is voiced pair of S.
J	ᚉ	Coll	Mapped to C/K as a functional default.
W	ᚒ	Ur	Mapped to the vowel U (closest to 'oo' sound).
Y	ᛁ	Idad	Mapped to the vowel I.
Q	ᚊ	Quert	Direct Ogham character.
X	ᚉᚄ	Coll + Saille	Mapped as the two-character phonetic sequence CS (/ks/).

For information on other tools and topics:

• Futhorc Runic Bi-Directional Converter: Turn your message in to First Millennium runes and back! [Try out this rune conversion tool on your own messages.]

• Earth's Looming Expiration Date: Why Earth faces an early deadline as Sun's energy output increases. [Idea on how to preserve our planet] 

• Number Rounding Tool: This the rounding tool that you didn't know you need! Multiple methods of rounding are supported. [Type Your Number and Round it up or down!]

Trail 34-ish at El Dorado State Park

On the Fall Solstice or near-abouts in 2025, I visited Eldorado State Park.  This park has a trail that is listed in the 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder at #34. Like many Spanish-origin names in Colorado, the name "Eldorado" has an anglicized spelling, so it's not "El Dorado". Instead of hiking the Eldorado Canyon Trail, as suggested in the book, I hiked the loop called Rattlesnake Gulch Trail.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DO35DGRDseH/

The trail is challenging, as there is significant uphill segments with several large cutbacks. I was able to visit on a day that was comfortably warm. Major portions of the hike are shaded. There are two uncommon points of interest on this trail too.

Crags Hotel Ruins is a location where a hotel once stood but long since burned down. The ruins of central fireplace still remain, along with a few other fleeting signs of some long-past structures.

Also on this loop, you'll find the Continental Divide Overlook.  This a great location for some awesome Rocky Mountain views (presumably including the Continental Divide).

I really enjoyed Eldorado Canyon State Park. This will be a location to which I'd love to return. Parking is $10 and is paid upon arrival. Reservations are required for weekends between May 1 and October 1.

Weight Calculation Tool based on Latitude

Your Weight Changes with Latitude

Your weight changes as you move further or closer to the Equator on Earth. This is true even if you typically measure your weight in kilograms.

Your mass is the amount of matter in your body. This remains constant.  However, your weight (the force of gravity acting on your mass) changes because the Earth's "falling" acceleration due to gravity (g) is not uniform. This variation is primarily due to two factors:

1. The Earth's Spin (Centrifugal Force): As the Earth rotates, it creates an outward centrifugal force that partially counteracts gravity. This force is strongest at the Equator and drops to zero at the Poles, making you slightly lighter near the Equator.
2. The Earth's Shape (Equatorial Bulge): The Earth is not a perfect sphere. It bulges around the Equator. This means you are physically farther from the planet's center when standing at 90° latitude than at the Poles. This distance also weakens the gravitational pull.

The combination of these two effects means you will exert the greatest gravitational force (be the heaviest) at the poles and the least at the Equator.

You can use Google Maps to find your current latitude and the latitude of your target or destination.

---

How to Use the Calculator

Use the calculator below to find your true constant mass and see how your weight (the force) would change if you moved to a new location:

1. Your Scale Reading: Enter your weight and select your unit (lbs or kg). If you use kg, the tool will automatically adjust for the standard gravity value that your scale likely uses to calculate your true mass.
2. Current Latitude: Enter the latitude where you took the measurement.
3. Target Latitude: Enter the latitude of interest (90° for the Pole or 0° for the Equator).

The tool will then show you your True Constant Mass (in kg and slugs), your Current Weight (in lbs and Newtons) and your calculated Target Weight at the new latitude. One additional note is that I previous covered this topic with an Excel spreadsheet tool. This new tool (below) is more accurate than my original spreadsheet because this new tool takes Earth's shape into account.

Weight & Mass Calculator 🌍

Input your weight in either pounds (lbs) or kilograms (kg).

Your Scale Reading:

lbs (Pounds) kg (Kilograms)

Your Current Latitude (degrees, 0-90):

Target Latitude of Interest (degrees, 0-90):

Enter your details and click 'Calculate'.

For information on other tools and topics:

• Futhorc Runic Bi-Directional Converter: Turn your message in to First Millennium runes and back! [Try out this rune conversion tool on your own messages.]

• Earth's Looming Expiration Date: Why Earth faces an early deadline as Sun's energy output increases. [Idea on how to preserve our planet] 

• Number Rounding Tool: This the rounding tool that you didn't know you need! Multiple methods of rounding are supported. [Type Your Number and Round it up or down!]

Number Rounding Tool You Might Need

Everyone learns the "Schoolhouse Rule" of rounding. This is where you look at the next digit and if it's 5 or greater, round up. This method (Round Half Up, or 5 always rounds up) works for everyday math, but it introduces a hidden and cumulative problem that is often not considered: upward bias.

In financial, scientific, or engineering calculations involving hundreds of figures, the "5 always rounds up" rule causes you to round up more often than you round down. This subtle bias can compound into a significant error in the final result. Our tool provides professional rounding systems designed specifically to eliminate this problem.

Reducing Bias

These methods are used when the total sum of all figures must be as accurate as possible, minimizing accumulated error.

Mode	What It Does	Why You Use It
Round Half Even	When a number is exactly halfway (e.g., 5.5 or 6.5), it rounds to the nearest even digit.	This is Banker's Rounding. By rounding equally to even numbers, it eliminates the upward bias of the schoolhouse method. It's the standard for professional financial and scientific calculations.
Stochastic Rounding	Uses random chance to decide whether to round up or down when exactly halfway.	Used in high-precision scientific simulation and modeling to introduce statistical fairness and prevent bias in complex, non-linear calculations.

Strict Control Over Direction

These modes are used when your calculation must never exceed (or never fall short of) the true value.

Mode	Rule	Example Use Case
Round Floor	Always rounds down (towards negative infinity).	Resource Allocation: Calculating how many full containers, shipments, or packages you can create from a given amount, ensuring you never over-count.
Round Ceil	Always rounds up (towards positive infinity).	Safety Margins: Calculating how much material to order or capacity you need, ensuring you always have at least the required amount.

By using this tool, you move beyond simple arithmetic to achieve the precise, mandate-required accuracy necessary for serious data analysis and computation.

Multiple Methods Rounding Tool 🎯

Number to Round (e.g., 123.456789)

Rounding Place (Exponent 10^N, N from 9 to -9)

Rounding Mode (decimal.js options)

0: Round Up (Rounds away from zero) 1: Round Down (Rounds towards zero / Truncates) 2: Round Ceil (Rounds towards +Infinity) 3: Round Floor (Rounds towards -Infinity) 4: Round Half Up (Nearest, 0.5 away from zero) 5: Round Half Down (Nearest, 0.5 towards zero) 6: Round Half Even (Nearest, 0.5 to even neighbor) 7: Round Half Ceil (Nearest, 0.5 to +Infinity) 8: Stochastic Rounding (Random, zero-bias)

Rounded Result

Note: The rounding place is specified by its 10^N exponent, covering every single place value from 10^9 down to 10^-9.

For information on other topics and tools:

• Futhorc Runic Bi-Directional Converter: Turn your message in to First Millennium runes and back! [Try out this rune conversion tool on your own messages.]

• Earth's Looming Expiration Date: Why Earth faces an early deadline as Sun's energy output increases. [Idea on how to preserve our planet] 

• The Number Converter Utility: Convert numerals to words and words to numerals! [Type Your Number and Convert it!]